LG G5 release date, news and rumors
Update: The LG G5 launch date is February 21 at MWC, and we know almost all of the news before its official unveiling. The latest G5 rumor suggests there will be plug-in accessories to add extra battery, audio features and camera tech.
The LG G4 got a lot right, but with a couple of significant missteps and a few other minor niggles it didn't quite reach the heights of greatness we'd hoped for. But 2016 is another year, and the LG G5 is another chance for LG to deliver the handset we all know it's capable of.
As we saw with the G4, LG won't be drawn into following the norm of metal and glass bodies, happily slapping plastic and leather on its latest flagship handset – but something is going to have to give in the design department, as LG is getting left behind somewhat by Apple, Samsung, HTC and Sony.
Rumors around the phone are starting to heat up and on top of that we've created our dream LG G5, and listed what we'd love to see in the handset.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? LG's next flagship smartphone
- When's it out? Confirmed for a February 21, 2016 launch event
- What will it cost? A lot – it's a flagship after all
LG G5 release date
You won't have to wait very long for the LG G5 release date. The company's flagship Android phone is now confirmed to launch two months earlier than its typical annual refresh cycle.
The official LG press conference invite for MWC 2016 out a not-so-subtle "LG G5 Day" as February 21. It follows a more vague "Save the Date" email that teased the phrase "Play Begins" and the location of Barcelona.
A late February launch and March release date makes sense. Last year, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and HTC One M9 were announced at MWC and got a two-month headstart on April's LG G4.
LG isn't allowing the Samsung Galaxy S7 and HTC One M10 to do the same all over again, so it's clear that we'll have our first look at the LG G5 later this month. This is going to be the first of two LG flagship phones this year, the company has confirmed, so it could be a big year for LG.
LG G5 design
We might finally see LG deliver a truly premium flagship, as Naver.com reports that it will sport a full metal body, which would be a nice change from the plastic the company usually uses and the less said about the leather-backed LG G4 the better.
Another rumor suggests that LG will keep the removable battery as well as a metal unibody look with an innovative new design. According to CNET Korea and a source who has seen a prototype device, the LG G5 will have a battery tray much like your SIM does in some flagship phones.
Following that, a diagram has leaked further pointing at a new design. It shows volume keys on the side of the LG G5, rather than the back (though the power button is still seemingly on the back). It also includes dimensions of 149.4 x 73.9 x 8.2mm, which would make it taller but thinner than the LG G4.
LG G5 display
You're never have to turn on the LG G5 display to check the time because the company has confirmed that it'll feature an always-on display that shows dimly lit critical information, even when it's off.
Touting it as the screen that never sleeps, LG revealed a photo of the LG G5 showing the time, date and up to four notifications icons. It reminds us of the much-loved Moto Display on the Moto X Style.
There's reason to believe that LG is switching up its display technology based on this information. While the company has stuck with LCDs for its phones, OLEDs show black pixels using less energy use.
Besides this helpful always-on functionality, there's no one answer as to how big the screen size of the LG G5 will be, but one rumor suggests it will have a 5.6-inch QHD display. The LG G4 is already at that resolution, so so the size would only be a slight jump on the 5.5-inch G4.
That would bring it even more into phablet territory, but if LG can slim down the bezels it could potentially up the screen size without increasing the footprint of the phone.
LG G5 camera and battery
We're hearing a couple of different camera rumors. One source claims the G5 will have a 20MP snapper with a custom Sony 1/2-inch sensor.
Another rumor suggests it will have a 21MP snapper on the back and a 5MP one on the front. Either way, it sounds like it should be an upgrade on the 16MP snapper that the LG G4 has.
These megapixel numbers aren't as important as the latest leak though: the LG G5 may have a dual-camera on the back, as seen in the leaked case shot above.
We don't know what size the battery will be yet, but as mentioned in the design section it looks like it could be removable.
LG G5 Quick Cover
As you can see, there are going to several third-party LG5 cases to protect your new phone, but the South Korean company is also touting its own first-party LG G5 Quick Cover case.
This form-fitting metallic case not only gives us a better idea of what the phone will look like, it features a window to see the always-on display notifications and touch controls it answer incoming calls.
Its see-through mesh lets you answer (or dismiss) calls without ever having to flip open the top part of the case. LG says its "metallic finish" matches the luxurious LG G5, further hinting at the metal-based Android phone.
LG G5 OS and power
No surprises when it comes to the processor, as the LG G5 has been benchmarked with a Snapdragon 820 processor and 4GB of RAM, just like we're expecting to see in other flagship phones like the Samsung Galaxy S7.
The benchmark also revealed that it runs Android Marshmallow, as expected, though it will of course be heavily skinned by LG. Beyond the specs the LG G5's scores are promising, beating early S7 scores in its multi-core test.
If that benchmark wasn't enough, a source with a solid track record has also claimed that the G5 will have a Snapdragon 820 chip. That should be a big upgrade on the Snapdragon 808 chip found in the LG G4.
LG G5 other features
Some rumors have suggested the LG G5 will come with a "Magic Slot" to add in customization accessories such as a camera upgrade, new audio technology and extra battery power. It seems to take inspiration from Google's Project Ara with a modular design at the bottom of the phone.
The LG G5 may take some cues from the Nexus 5X design, as it's rumored to sport a fingerprint scanner on the back, along with a new USB-C port on the bottom, moving it away from the standard micro USB data and charging port, according to one leak.
Even more excitingly, the LG G5 could supposedly have an iris scanner, allowing it to recognise you by your eyes.
We've already seen similar tech in the Microsoft Lumia 950 and LG hasn't been afraid to innovate or be among the first to do things in the past, so it's possible that the LG G5 will pack one, especially as that same rumor has popped up again. However, iris scanning doesn't seem to be as speedy as fingerprint recognition, so we're sceptical on this one.
According to sources speaking to The Verge, the LG G5 could also have an "accessory slot", allowing for hardware expansion, possibly a bit like we'll be seeing on a larger scale with the Project Ara modular phone.
LG G5 rivals
The LG G5's biggest rival is likely to be the Samsung Galaxy S7. This phone is expected to arrive at around the same time as the G5, possibly even being announced on the same day.
Not only does it have a huge name behind it, but rumors point to a sleek, premium design, a QHD screen, an improved camera and a whole lot of power, so LG could have its work cut out to compete.
The HTC One M10 will also probably be launching soon and while not much is yet known about that it's sure to have a stylish look and flagship specs.
LG G5 cost
There's no word yet on what the LG G5 will cost, but it's a flagship phone, so it won't come cheap. If it's as packed full of tech and features as rumors suggest it could easily come in at over £500/$600/AU$1000.
However, the great thing about LG's phones is the cost will plummet quickly over the course of the year, so it could be well worth waiting.
Techradar LG G5 Concept
We've taken it upon ourselves to put together a concept of how the G5 should look, and we're thinking all-metal, with a curved screen above and below (rather than from side to side), and that fingerprint scanner in LG's magic power button on the back.
Our design allows LG to still stand out from the crowd, while bringing it into the premium tier of design. The South Korean firm isn't afraid to throw in some curve balls here and there, so while the concept is ambitious there's always a chance for LG to surprise.
LG G5: what we want to see
1. An all-metal build
LG moved away from plastic towards a more premium design with the LG G4. It…didn't go well. The unusual choice of leather was certainly novel, but it felt cheap, looked odd and wasn't anywhere near as visually pleasing as the metal HTC One M9 or iPhone 6.
So hopefully the LG G5 will have a more conventional all-metal design. It's hard to go wrong with metal and it should make the phone even more premium and less divisive. Thankfully rumors suggest a metal G5 is on the way.
2. A fingerprint scanner
While many smartphones are now incorporating fingerprint scanners LG has so far resisted, and it's a shame as the prominent power button on the back of its devices is crying out for one.
Turning the button into a single touch biometric scanner seems like an obvious decision and it would give the LG G5 one more useful feature.
The company is rumored to be working on one, but some sources reckon it's even going a step further and working on an iris scanner. While we wouldn't say no to that a fingerprint scanner is probably a safer choice.
3. More innovative edges
We're bored of flat phones and if the LG G Flex 2 is anything to go by so is LG. But companies are yet to crack curves and we want to see LG try something new with the G4, so how about taking a note from the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, but rather than having curved sides have the screen spill over the top and bottom edge.
That would give it an eye-catching look, but it wouldn't just be for show, the curves could also display extra notifications depending on which way the phone is held.
4. A 4K screen
The LG G4 already has a QHD screen and it's glorious, but even the LG G3 was offering QHD so it's time for LG to move things along and give the LG G5 a 4K display.
Assuming it stays at 5.5 inches a 4K (3840 x 2160) screen would have a pixel density of 801 pixels per inch, making it one of the sharpest displays around. Why? VR of course! Making this the perfect phone to strap to your head needs a really pin sharp display.
We only want this to happen if LG can avoid giving the battery life a hit in the process, but LG had a reputation for being ahead of the game on screen resolution and that's something it should try and hold onto.
Current rumors are that the screen will be growing to 5.6 inches but sticking at QHD, so we may not see LG fully embracing VR just yet.
5. Better battery life
The LG G2 had great battery life but in the last couple of years LG has struggled in this area. Perhaps it's the move to a QHD screen or perhaps it just needs to use bigger juice packs or a more efficient processor, but whatever the reason the LG G4 barely makes it through a day and that's just not good enough.
So we really want to see better battery life on the LG G5. Phones should be pushing at least two days of life as far as we're concerned, not struggling to manage one. We'd rather this than a high res screen, to be honest.
6. Slicker performance
Despite being a flagship phone the LG G4 isn't always that fast. We've mentioned that the camera can be slow to launch but flipping between running apps can take a second too and the interface sometimes occasionally even needs to rebuild itself after jumping between apps.
This could be down to the Snapdragon 808 processor powering the G4, but we'd think that coupled with 3GB of RAM it should be more than enough to deliver slick performance. So whether through a power injection or better optimised software we hope the LG G5 is a smooth operator.
Word is that we'll see a Snapdragon 820 chip in the G5, in which case slicker performance is likely.
7. A faster camera
The LG G4 has a hugely impressive camera, but it's not always the fastest to launch. Tapping the camera icon should see it boot up in just 0.6 seconds, but if using a double tap of the volume button to launch it when the phone is asleep it takes more like 2 seconds.
That's still not slow but it can be long enough to miss the perfect time to get a snap, so hopefully LG will speed the process up on the G5.
8. Knock Code improvements
Being able to double tap the screen to wake it up is great and generally works well, but with Knock Code LG went one further and allowed you to unlock the phone with a series of taps too.
Sadly this doesn't work quite so well or consistently and it's enough of a problem to render it less useful than more conventional unlock options like a PIN or pattern, so hopefully LG will tighten this up for the G5. Then again if it includes a fingerprint or iris scanner it could probably just ditch Knock Code altogether.
9. A more compact design
We don't necessarily want LG to put a smaller screen on the G5, especially if it's going to keep pushing the pixels to this extent, but there's no denying that it can be a little more unwieldy than a smaller phone, so one solution would be to trim down the bezels.
There's still quite a lot of empty space, especially above and below the display, so if that goes on the LG G5 then we could see a 5.5-inch phone that doesn't require hand gymnastics to use.
10. Less bloat
LG clearly puts a lot of work into its interface and the version found on the G4 is fairly clean and colourful. It even has a few genuinely useful features, such as Smart Notice, which is hugely improved since its debut in 2014.
But there are a number of less useful features, apps and widgets which we'd just as soon see the back of. From Q Slide to LG Health there are a lot of things here that feel like they're just ticking boxes or exist purely to help the phone stand out without really having been thought through.
There are more than enough apps on Google Play already, so hopefully LG will cut out a lot of the bloat for the G5 and let buyers decide for themselves what apps they want on the phone.
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